Search This Blog

Monday, 31 August 2015

There is deep suspicion in Swaziland that King
Mswati III’s regime is not telling the truth about the number of deaths in the Reed
Dance road smash on Friday (28 August 2015).

Official police figures put the number of deaths at
13, but one pro-democracy group has said it is as high as 65.

Police initially were reluctant to give any
information about the accident on the main Mbabane to Manzini highway at Matsapha.
Reports circulated on the Internet that journalists had been prohibited from
reporting the incident.

The news was first broken on Friday by the Swaziland
Solidarity network (SSN), a group banned in Swaziland where King Mswati rules
as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. The SSN said the number of
deaths was 38.

The Associated
Press (AP) later reported SSN spokesperson Lucky Lukhele saying members of
the Swaziland Defence Force alerted the rights group to the accident and gave
the number of deaths.

By Sunday, the SSN was reporting the death toll had risen to 65. Lukhele
told the Anadolu
Agency that 38 girls had been killed instantly on Friday when the trucks
they were travelling in collided with another vehicle.

‘And on midnight Saturday, we received information that another 27 girls
had died in hospital,’ Lukhele added.

He told the Daily
Telegraph, a UK-based newspaper, ‘According to our reports from
military and medical officials, at least 65 girls were dead by midnight on
Saturday.’

The girls were travelling on the back of open trucks in a convoy. They
were on their way to attend the Reed Dance where tens of thousands of topless
virgins dance in front of the King.

According to reports
in Swazi newspapers, a car or a van hit the back of one truck which
resulted in a pileup. The dead were reportedly thrown from the back of the
truck which was usually used for transporting building materials and some were
said to have been hit by on-coming cars.

Police spokesperson Assistant Superintendent Khulani Mamba told
the Observer on Sunday newspaper in
Swaziland that not all the girls died on the spot.

By Monday, police were insisting that the death toll was no higher than
13. It released some details, but no names, of the dead. The youngest was 11
years old and seven were aged 16 or under.

Reports circulated on social media all weekend that the figure was
greater than 13 and that scores of children had been taken to hospital, some to
South Africa. The Observer
on Sunday, quoting government
sources, reported that at least 66 girls, including the 13 dead, had been taken
to Raleigh Fitkin Memorial hospital.

It was confirmed by international media that there was a clampdown on journalists
who tried to report news of the deaths.

TheDaily
Telegraph, a UK-based newspaper, on Saturday quoted Bheki Gama, a
freelance journalist who was at the scene of the accident. Gama disputed the
government’s claims that only 13 people had died.

The Telegraph reported, ‘He
said paramedics had told him that dozens of young women had died at the scene
or on the way to hospital.

‘He said he saw at least five bodies strewn across the on-ramp, which
was covered with blood.

‘“It was absolutely terrible,” he said. “There were bodies everywhere.
The tar was covered with blood. Many of the bodies had been collected by the
time I arrived.”’

The Telegraph added, ‘Mr Gama
said the government blacked out coverage of the accident and is refusing to
release information to journalists.’

The AP
also reported, ‘Press photographers were prevented from taking pictures at
the scene, said a Swazi journalist who insisted on anonymity for security
reasons. However some people managed to take photographs of the aftermath of
the crash with their cell phones.’

The People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), the best-known of the
banned opposition groups in Swaziland, reported in a statement on Sunday that
hospital sources had said 40 people had died. It added the figure, ‘wasgiven with the
caution that there is a lot of secrecy involved with giving out numbers of
those that have passed on because there is an order circulating that there
should be minimum reporting on the matter.’

The Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), the PUDEMO
youth wing, called on the government, ‘to provide full disclosure on how many
people died and assist the families locate their loved ones.’

It said, ‘It is not acceptable that the nation can
engage in public speculation and contradicting media reports on the number of
deaths or those injured. Government must put the nation into confidence and
make full disclosure as a sign of accountability and transparency.’

Saturday, 29 August 2015

A rights organisation in
Swaziland has called on King Mswati III to cancel the Reed Dance due to take
place on Sunday (30 August 2015) and Monday out of respect for the dozens of
girls and young women who were reportedly killed in a truck accident on the way to the celebration.

The Swaziland Solidarity
Network (SNN), which is banned in the kingdom where King Mswati rules as
sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, made the call in a statement
after it was reported at least 38 people were killed in a crash along the Mbabane
to Manzini highway.

The girls and young women
were among 90,000 ‘maidens’ who were travelling to take part in the annual Reed
Dance at which women and girls described as ‘virgins’ dance half-naked in front
of the King.

The SSN said 38 people
had been killed and 20 seriously injured in the accident on Friday. The dead
and injured had reportedly been travelling on the open back of a truck.

In a statement the SSN
said, ‘The least that the Royal Family can do at this moment is to cancel this
year’s Reed Dance and admit its responsibility in this horrific accident by
helping these families bury their children.’

The SSN said ‘inside sources’ had reported that media in Swaziland which
is heavily censored had been ‘barred from reporting extensively on this
accident’.

It said, ‘What saddens our network is
the fact that the loss of life was avoidable. To begin with, carrying people in
trucks is against traffic laws. Moreover, the drivers of these trucks clearly
did not have any concern for the human lives they were carrying: They were
clearly negligent.

‘This is not the first incident where young girls have been injured on
royal assignments; our network once reported how a truck accident was concealed
by the Royal Family by falsely claiming that unknown people had thrown rocks at
a truck full of young girls.

‘We hope that the families of the deceased girls will hold the Royal Family
accountable for the deaths of their children.’

International media
reported on Saturday (29 August 2015) that 38 people had died but social media in
Swaziland was awash with speculation that the figure might be much higher.
There was a general feeling that the regime of King Mswati could not be trusted
to tell the truth on the number of deaths as this would reflect badly on the
King.

Late on Saturday, Eyewitness
News in South Africa reported the death toll had risen to 65.

Thursday, 27 August 2015

While Parliament in Swaziland has agreed
to purchase a larger private jet for the kingdom’s
autocratic ruler King Mswati III that might cost US$30 million, news is
circulating in the kingdom that the government is unable to distribute food aid
to the starving rural population because it cannot afford to run trucks.

Maize crops have failed this year because of a
drought that has hit southern Africa. Figures released in July 2015 suggest
that as many as a quarter of the Kingdom’s 1.3 million population are now
malnourished.

This week some members of the Swazi House of Assembly
threatened
to stop attending parliamentary sessions until the
government acted and delivered food to hungry people in Swaziland’s rural
areas.

The Times of Swaziland,
the only independent daily newspaper in the kingdom where media censorship is
heavy, reported on Tuesday (25 August 2015) that Nhlambeni MP Frans Dlamini told parliament
that, ‘as legislators, they no longer had any ideas on how to rescue the hungry
people and wondered why government had stopped the food distributions.

‘“What happened to the food aid and what should we do so that government
sees it fit to conduct food distributions? I do not know if we should leave
Parliament and only return once the food has been distributed,” the Times reported Dlamini saying.

The Times reported MPs were
told that trucks to ferry food were not available.

A few days earlier the Swazi Parliament agreed to purchase a jet for
King Mswati. His present jet, a MacDonnell Douglas DC-9
jet (also known as MD87),which
cost about US$17 million in 2012 is considered to be too small
for the monarch to use.

In Swaziland, political parties are banned from contesting elections and
King Mswati, who rules as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch, appoints
the government. The King leads a lavish lifestyle with at least 14 wives, 13
palaces, a private jet and fleets of BMW and Mercedes cars.

Last week it was reported in a newspaper in Botswana, that Prince Majaha, King Mswati’s 23-year-old son, had a
watch stolen that was worth US$40,000, the equivalent of 55 years of
income for seven in ten of the King’s subjects, who earn less than US$2 per
day.

King Mswati’s government has a poor record in helping hungry Swazi
people.

In May 2013, international media reported that starving people in
Swaziland were being denied food by the government because it was punishing the
kingdom’s members of parliament for passing a vote of no confidence against it.

Food intended to feed destitute families, especially those headed by
single women with children, had been deliberately left to rot in government
warehouses, they said. One Swazi newspaper said, ‘[T]here could be a deliberate
ploy at cabinet to systematically starve the people.’

The international news
agency IRIN reported the problem was being blamed on ‘bad blood’
between members of parliament (MPs) and members of King Mswati III’s cabinet.
This was after the House of Assembly passed a no-confidence vote in October
2012 against Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini, who is both a relative and
appointee of the king. The no-confidence vote was later reversed.

The Swazi Observer, the
newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati, in an editorial comment said,
‘[T]here could be a deliberate ploy at cabinet to systematically starve the
people’.

IRIN reported, ‘Although
the country has institutions resembling those in democracies, Swaziland's
parliamentarians do not enact legislation; rather, they approve policies of the
king’s appointed cabinet.

‘But MPs are still responsible to their constituents - voter
registration began a few days ago for this year’s scheduled elections, although
a poll date has yet to be announced. Political parties remain banned.

‘Some observers believe the disruption of food supplies was meant as a
lesson for the MPs.

‘Aaron Simelane, a Swaziland-based political commentator, told IRIN,
“MPs are considered community development agents by the people who vote ...
Swazis want their MPs to bring roads, jobs and aid to their communities, but
MPs have no power to do any of these things. [The] cabinet has this power.

‘“The people do not know this, and when things aren’t done they blame
MPs, who promise to deliver this and that to get elected. By withholding food
aid, [the] cabinet is teaching MPs a lesson about power.”’

Local
media in Swaziland reported that ‘hundreds of 50kg bags of beans, mealie-meal
and boxes of cooking oil’ had been left to rot at the government central
warehouse in Matsapha.

IRIN said the
spoiled food included, ‘15,000kg of the staple maize meal, 25,000kg of beans
and 600 cartons of vegetable oil.’

The Swazi Observer in an editorial comment
stated, ‘[T]ons of donated staples like maize, beans and cooking oil were
deliberately being allowed to rot at a government granary in Matsapha, while
starving people had to contend with the pangs of hunger out there.

‘We may be forced to agree with the honourables [members of parliament],
who are now claiming there could be a deliberate ploy at cabinet to
systematically starve the people and obliterate them from the face of their
army worm-ravaged areas.’

The Observer went on to say,
‘Or much sinister still, it is to alienate the present crop of MPs from their
constituents, so they cannot be voted back to parliament, if that was to
happen.

‘Are the hungry people being used to hit back at the MPs for their
still-born vote of no confidence last year? When things happen in this manner,
one starts to believe even the most far-fetched theories, which is why
government should avoid such embarrassing situations at all costs.’

Police in Swaziland have warned ‘random’ men not to
loiter near camps housing tens of thousands of supposed virgins during the
forthcoming Reed Dance or Umhlanga ceremony.

In the past men found in such situations have been
illegally whipped.

About 90,000
young women and girls have reportedly registered to take part
in the ceremony which concludes on Monday (31 August 2015) when they will dance
half-naked in front of King Mswati III, who is sub-Saharan Africa’s last
absolute monarch.

The women and girls are reportedly virgins and form
a regiment known as Imbali.

The warning came from Police Information and
Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Khulani Mamba.
The Swazi Observer, a newspaper in
effect owned by King Mswati, that has been extensively covering the Reed Dance,
reported Mamba saying, ‘The police will be there at the national event from
the beginning to the end to ensure safety of the public and of the maiden. We
would like to advise the public on a number of things such as appealing them to
drive with caution on the roads as the Imbali will be marching.

‘The maidens are also expected to be well-behaved while camped for the
event so random men are also warned against being found loitering next to the
camps where they will be sleeping, as tindvuna [overseers] have also warned.’

The police officer and media did not report what the
consequences would be for men found loitering. There is huge secrecy
surrounding events such as the Reed Dance, since they are the mainstays of
Swazi ‘traditional’ culture.

However, in 2007 the Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the
kingdom, broke the secrecy when it reported on the mass whipping of young men
during the Reed Dance.

The Times reported on 5 September 2007 that the traditional
authorities who were given the responsibility of supervising the ‘maidens’
systematically detained and whipped young men who were caught at night trying
to get close to the young women.

In a report starkly headlined, ‘27 men whipped at Reed Dance’, the Times
reported that the men were caught, whipped, and temporarily detained after
invading the camp where the maidens were staying.

The whipping was not an isolated incident and the Times reported that
some men were whipped on Saturday and others on Sunday. It seemed that the
detention and whipping of unwelcome visitors was an agreed method of discipline
among those tasked with supervising the maidens.

The Times report quoted Muzi Dlamini, one of the men responsible for
supervising the maidens, saying that the men were taken to a small tent. ‘They
were beaten with sjamboks and sticks. We were disciplining them and I must say
they deserved such a punishment.’

He spoke about two separate occasions when men were detained and beaten. ‘After
we had detained these boys, there were no more visits from strangers. Indeed it
worked for us,’ he said.

The whippings highlighted an issue with Swazi culture. In traditional
custom in Swaziland, the punishers may have been entitled to act in the way
that they did, but in Swazi law they were not. There was at least a case for Dlamini
and the others who helped him beat the boys to face prosecution for assault.

The whipping of the boys and men was not an isolated incident of violence at that
year’s Reed Dance. On 4 September 2007 the Times reported that one of
the senior overseers of the maidens, Ntfonjeni Dlamini, assaulted a group of
maidens with a stick. He hurt two of them so badly, the Times reports,
that they had to go to Lobamba Clinic, where one of them was treated for
injuries to her right leg and bruises all over her body. The other was reported
to have bruises all over her body and was bleeding on her back.

Four other ‘maidens’ were also thrashed, but were not as badly injured.

The Times followed up the story the following day (5 September
2007) reporting that the two women had reported Ntfonjeni Dlamini to the
police. The Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse also commented about the
wrongfulness of beating children.

In an editorial comment, the Times said, ‘Ntfonjeni Dlamini … seems to
believe he holds the right to beat up anybody’s child for no apparent reason.’
It called on ‘traditional authorities’ to take strong action against the
blemishing of the Reed Dance, which it described as a ‘colourful event’ and an
opportunity for Swaziland to make a bit of money from tourists.

As well as the two stories already mentioned the Times also gave an
account (5 September 2007) of eight stabbings in isolated incidents at the Reed
Dance. The newspaper reported that those stabbed were involved in brawls over
‘girls’.

In September 2014, the Times reported that
more than 30 maidens were given a ‘serious hiding’ for ‘delinquent acts’ during the Shiselweni Reed Dance ceremony, a
localised version of the main Reed Dance,held at the Mbangweni
Royal Residence.

Most of the girls, who were caned by their headmen, were beaten for not
participating in the main event, while they left their respective homes under
the pretext that they were going to the Reed Dance ceremony.

The Times reported, ‘It was
discovered that while the girls were being punished by the headmen, some got
seriously injured as they tried to run away. Most of them were treated by
paramedics, who attended to their case overnight (Saturday).’

Wednesday, 26 August 2015

The Swazi Observer, the newspaper in effect owned by King Mswati III,
is very excited that the US cable news network CNN might be covering the Umhlanga or
Reed Dance on Monday (31 August 2015).

The newspaper, described
by the Media Institute of Southern Africa Swaziland chapter as a ‘pure propaganda machine for the royal family,’ reported on
Wednesday (26 August 2015) that a ‘well-placed source’ that it did not name,
said, ‘The Reed Dance is regarded a huge event internationally, so it is no
surprise that international media like CNN is interested.

‘This will also be a good
thing for Swaziland as it is accessible in many countries world-wide, all eyes
will be on the reed dance.’

The Observer then went on to report that CNN ‘can be accessed by over
900 million people in the United States alone,’ a statement that is clearly false
since the entire population of the
United States is only 325,527,595. Indeed, in
2014, the
number of viewers of CNN in the US during ‘prime time’ each day was only
515,000 on average.

It is not yet clear if CNN will be at the Reed
Dance.

The purpose of the Swazi Observer article was to try to talk up King Mswati III, who
rules Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. Each year he
holds the Reed Dance in which young women and girls who are supposedly ‘virgins’
dance bare-breasted in front of the King. Media reports in Swaziland suggest
that about 90,000
‘maidens’ have registered to take part in this year’s event.

Journalists at the Swazi Observer seem not to have noticed that international media
cover the event each year. Unlike their counterparts in Swaziland who work
under extreme conditions of censorship when reporting about the King, they tend
to report the Reed Dance in context.

That means should CNN and other international news
organisations attend the Reed dance we can expect them to report that King
Mswati witnessed bare-breasted maids in their tens of thousands dance before
him. They will also report (unlike their Swazi colleagues) that the King has at
least 15 wives and some are younger than his own children. They will report
that the King lives a lavish
lifestyle, with palaces, a private jet aircraft, fleets of BMW and Mercedes
cars and he likes to travel in luxury abroad.

They will report that in Swaziland political parties
are banned from taking part in elections and that the King choses the
government. They will also remind their audiences of the human
rights abuses that regularly take place in Swaziland, including the jailing
of journalists and trade union leaders.

They will also report that seven in ten of his 1.3
million subjects live in abject poverty, with incomes of less than US$2 per
day; that Swaziland has the highest level of HIV infection in the world and
that many people in the kingdom will this year starve unless they receive food
aid donated by people who live in multi-party democracies.

We can be assured that they will report in this
fashion, because that is how the uncensored international media always report
when they visit Swaziland.

The journalists at the Swazi Observer might regret it very much if CNN does turn up.

Serious doubts have been raised about a plan to
build a seaport in Swaziland, which has no coastline.

The Swazi Government earlier this month (August
2015) announced
its support for a canal and port to be built linking Mlawula in Swaziland with the Mozambique coast. The
port is planned for 15 to 20 hectares of land. The government also said a 26-kilometre-long
canal would be built. The entire project is expected to cost at least US$3
billion.

It reported on Tuesday (25 August 2015), ‘First, no
point on the coast is a mere 26 kilometres from Mlawula. As the crow flies, the
nearest point on the Mozambican coast is over 70 kilometres from the site of
the proposed port.

‘Furthermore, as anyone who has driven from Maputo to Swaziland can
testify, the land rises steeply. Canals are fine for transporting goods over
flat terrain - but if there are hills in the way, locks must be built,
dramatically increasing the costs. Building a canal with a system of locks
capable of holding ocean-going vessels would be a massive engineering
undertaking.

‘Such an operation is also entirely unnecessary.

‘Swaziland's main trading partner is South Africa. Over 90 percent of
Swaziland's imports come from South Africa, and about 70 percent of its exports
go to South Africa. So for the great bulk of Swazi trade a canal through Mozambique
is simply irrelevant, as a glimpse at a map should show Moses Motsa and the
Swazi government.

‘The rest of Swaziland's trade, for example with Europe or the United
States, can be easily handled by the port of Maputo. There are already
reasonable rail and road links between Swaziland and Maputo.

‘Upgrading these would certainly be much cheaper than building an inland
port.’

It added that the Mozambican Government has not yet commented on the
Swazi plan and do not seem to have been consulted on the possibility of a canal
going through its territory.

The new information casts serious doubts on the
Swazi Government’s ability to comprehend the complexity of the project.

The Times of Swaziland, the only independent daily newspaper in the
kingdom where most news media are censored, had reported
the plan was confirmed by Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Gideon Dlamini.

The Times reported him saying, ‘At government level, we are fully
behind the project and we are giving it undivided support. The project owners
had done presentations to Cabinet and we interrogated it and found that it is a
wonderful one. Following Cabinet’s realisation that the project is good and
viable, Prime Minister [Barnabas] Sibusiso Dlamini then tasked the different
concerned ministries to start working together with the project owners straight
away.’

Tuesday, 25 August 2015

The Principal Secretary in Swaziland’s Ministry of
Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Thembinkhosi Mamba, has
lost his job after being charged with corruption.

Mamba was due to sign a new two-year contract.
Swazi Prime Minister Barnabas
Dlamini said on Monday (24 August 2015) the contract would not now be
renewed.

Mamba was charged after he was arrested by the
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) along with two women, Zanele Dlamini, a
businesswoman and the ministry’s Senior Accountant Tivelele Shongwe. They are alleged
to have acted corruptly in violating the Procurement Act.

The charges relate to the awarding of a tender
valued at more than E1 million (US$100,000) to a company allegedly directed by
Zanele Dlamini.

Monday, 24 August 2015

News that a Swazi Prince
was robbed in a hotel room has exposed something of the lifestyle of King
Mswati III’s family.

Prince Majaha, aged 23,
was with his father in Gaborone, Botswana, when he went on a drinking spree.

The Voice newspaper
in Botswana reported he took a woman, which the newspaper describes as ‘a
street vendor’, and a man to his hotel room to continue drinking. When he woke
up next morning, the newspaper reported, they had stolen US$5,000 in cash and items,
including an iPhone 5 valued at US$500 and a Rodger Dubuis watch, worth US$40,000.

If the valuations reported
by the Voice are correct, the watch
on its own is worth the equivalent of nearly 55 years income for more than
seven in ten of his father’s subjects, who earn less than US$2 per day.

The newspaper did not
report why the prince was carrying US$5,000 in cash; the dollar is not the
currency of Botswana.

King Mswati rules
Swaziland as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. Political parties are
not allowed to contest elections and freedoms of association and speech are
severely curtailed in the kingdom.

In July 2015, it was reported
that the
budget for King Mswati and his family had been increased by 25 percent and now made
up five percent of the overall national budget for Swaziland.

Prince Majaha once made
international news when it was reported that King Mswati, aged 45, was to marry
a 19-year-old, one-time beauty
pageant contestant Sindiswa Dlamini. It was reported that the bride had once dated the
King’s son, Prince Majaha.

The Accused is guilty of
contravening Section 16 (a) read with (b) of the prevention of Corruption Act
No. 3 of 2006. In that upon or during the period between the month of March
2012 to April 2012 at or near Mbabane in the Hhohho region, the said accused
acting individually and or jointly in the furtherance of a common purpose with
others did unlawfully obstruct officers from Anti Corruption Commission (ACC)
in the execution of their duties of pursuing an investigation against the
accused thus did hereby contravene the provision of the said Act.

Count 2

The accused is guilty of
contravening Section 42(1) (a) read with subsection (2) (a) (i), (b) (i)
and (iii),(c) as read together with Section 35 (1) of the Prevention of
Corruption Act no3 of 2006.

In that upon or during
the period between the months of March 2012 to April 2012 and at or near
Mbabane in the Hhohho region, the said accused did unlawfully demand or accept
and or agree or offer to accept an advantage of having an investigation
against her for corruption allegation stopped, for her benefits and
through her illegal and dishonest manner amounting to abuse4 of her position of
authority and violation of her legal duties or set of rules in a design
to achieve an unjustified result of having an investigation against her
stopped and thus did hereby contravene the provision of the said Act.

Count 3

The accused is guilty of
contravening Section 24 (2) as read together with section 35 (1) of the
Prevention of Corruption Act no 2 of 2006.

In that upon or during
the period of March 2012 to April 2012 and or near Mbabane, Hhohho region, the
said accused being a public official did unlawfully divert money amounting to
E55 193.25 belonging to the Anti Corruption Commission (a government agency)
which money the said accused controlled by virtue of her position as the
Deputy Commissioner, to various local print media for purposes unrelated
to the purpose for which that money was intended for, in causing to
be published a press statement on a matter personal to her and designed to
serve interest of the accused , for her benefit and thus did thereby contravene
the provision of the said Act.

Count 4

The accused is guilty of
crime of defeating or obstructing or attempting to defeat or obstruct the
course of justice. In that the said accused did unlawfully and with the
intent to defeat or obstruct the course justice in that whereas: On or about
July 2011 and at Mbabane in the Hhohho district , the then Anti Corruption
Commission Commissioner Justice H.M. Mtenga, SC having dully appointed a panel
of investigators to undertake an investigation on allegation of
corruption against the accused; And whereas the accused or about March 2012
and or near Mbabane in the Hhohho district caused to be stopped the said
investigation and announced that she had been cleared of the allegation which
were a subject matter of the investigation. Whereas this information was to the
accused knowledge illegal and false and that she had not been cleared from all
investigation and the investigation was unlawfully stopped. In the premises the
said accused defeat or obstruct or attempt to defeat the course of
justice.

The accused are guilty of
contravening Section 42 (1) (a) read with subsections (2) (a) (i), (b)(i) and
(iii), (c) and (d) as read together with Section 35 (1) of the Prevention of
Corruption Act No. 3 of 2006.

In that upon or during the period between the
months of October 2014 to March 2015 and at near Mbabane in the Hhohho Region,
the said accused acting individually and/or jointly and in furtherance of a
common purpose did unlawfully demand and/or accept money amounting to E62 000
(US$6,200) from Jose Emidio Rodrigues for their benefit and through their illegal and
dishonest manner amounting to the abuse of their respective positions of authority
and violation of their legal duties or set of rules in a design to achieve an
unjustified result and amounting to an improper inducement of the said
Rodrigues to give them the said amount of money and thus did thereby contravene
the provisions of the said Act.

Count 2(Accused 1 and 2)

The accused are guilty of
contravening Section 42 (1) (a) read with subsections (2) (a) (i), (b)(i) and
(iii), (c) and (d) as read together with Section 35 (1) of the Prevention of
Corruption Act No. 3 of 2006.

In that upon or during
the period between the months of October 2014 to March 2015 and at near Mbabane
in the Hhohho Region, the said accused acting individually and/or jointly and
in furtherance of a common purpose did unlawfully demand and/or accept money
amounting to E600 000 from Jose Emidio Rodrigues for their benefit and through
their illegal and dishonest manner amounting to the abuse of their respective
positions of authority and violation of their legal duties or set of rules in a
design to achieve an unjustified result and amounting to an improper inducement
of the said Rodrigues to give them the said amount of money and thus did
thereby contravene the provisions of the said Act.

Count 3 (Accused 1 Only:
Shongwe)

The accused are guilty of
contravening Section 30 (1) (a) and (b) read with subsections (c) (i), (d)(i)
and (iii), (e) and (f) as read together with Section 35 (2) of the Prevention
of Corruption Act No. 3 of 2006.

In that upon or during
the period between the months of October 2014 to March 2015 and at near Mbabane
in the Hhohho Region, the said accused being a politician did unlawfully demand
and/or accept or agree and/or offer to accept money amounting to E60 000 from
Jose Emidio Rodrigues for his benefit in order to assist the said Emidio Rodrigues
with his criminal case and through his illegal and dishonest manner amounting
to the abuse of his position of authority and violation of legal duties or set
of rules in a design to achieve an unjustified result and amounting to an
improper inducement of the said Rodrigues to give him the said amount of money
and thus did thereby contravene the provisions of the said Act.

Count 4 (Accused 1 Only: Shongwe)

The accused are guilty of
contravening Section 30 (1) (a) and (b) read with subsections (c) (i), (d)(i)
and (iii), (e) and (f) as read together with Section 35 (2) of the Prevention
of Corruption Act No. 3 of 2006.

In that upon or during
the period between the months of October 2014 to March 2015 and at near Mbabane
in the Hhohho Region, the said accused being a politician did unlawfully demand
and/or accept or agree and/or offer to accept money amounting to E60 000 from
Jose Emidio Rodrigues for his benefit in order to assist the said Emidio
Rodrigues with his criminal case and through his illegal and dishonest manner
amounting to the abuse of his position of authority and violation of legal
duties or set of rules in a design to achieve an unjustified result and
amounting to an improper inducement of the said Rodrigues to give him the said
amount of money and thus did thereby contravene the provisions of the said Act.

Count 5 (Accused 1 and 2)

The accused are guilty of
crime of Extortion.

In that upon or during
the period between the months of October 2014 to March 2015 and at or near
Mbabane in the Hhohho region, the said Accused 1, who was at all material times
the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs for the Kingdom of
Swaziland acting individually and/or jointly and in furtherance of a common
purpose with Accused 2 did unlawfully and intentionally inspire fear in the
mind of Jose Emidio Rodrigues who was and still is an accused person in a
pending criminal trial by threatening and informing him that a judgment to find
him guilty and a custodial sentence was already in place, unless the said Jose
Emidio Rodrigues paid the said accused Money amounting to E600 000 thereby
unlawfully and intentionally extorted E62 000 and obtained from the said Jose
Rodrigues.

Count 6 (Accused 1only:
Shongwe)

The accused is guilty of
crime of attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of Justice.

In that whereas one Jose
Emidio Rodrigues is an accused and Fraud in High Court Case No.242/2013 which
is pending and to the knowledge of the accused, the said Jose Emidio Rodrigues
was so charged, the said accused did on or around the months of November
2014-January 2015 and at Mbabane, Unlawfully and with the intent to defeat or
obstruct the course of justice, request the Director of Public Prosecutions to
drop the charges against the said Jose Emidio Rodrigues and turn him into a
state witness and whereas when the said accused made the said request, he
purportedly made it on behalf of Rodrigues, when in fact he had not been so
instructed as aforesaid but was on his own unlawful mission. In the premises
the said accused did commit the crime of attempting to defeat or obstruct the
course of justice.